Supporting device of rotary furnaces

ABSTRACT

A supporting device for a rotary furnace, in which a rod is loosely passed through two frames respectively carrying rollers which rotatably support the furnace. Support members are mounted on the rod for contacting the frames to limit relative longitudinal displacement therebetween and between the rod and the support members while also causing the rollers to be tightly pressed against the furnace along their entire line of contact during the rotation of the furnace.

United States Patent [191 Raevsky et al. 1 Jan. 16, 1973 [54] SUPPORTING DEVICE 0F ROTARY [56] References Cited FURNACES UNITED STATES PATENTS Inventors! gy Vladimimvich y; 3,436,062 4/1969 Raevsky ..263/33 R Semen Mikhailovich Biletsky; 1,417,588 5/1922 Van Ambur h ..263/33-R Eduard Jurievich Burmenko all of 3,56l,l32 2/l97l GI'OI'IC ..263/33 Kiev, U.S.S.R.

Primary ExaminerJohn J. Camby I [73] Assignee: Institut Elektrosvarki lmeni E. O. A"0meywater$,Rdltl&Schwartz Patona Akademii Nauk Ukrainskoi SSR, Kiev, U.S.S.R. ABSTRACT A supporting device for a rotary furnace, in which a [22] filed: 1971 rod is loosely passed through two frames respectively 2 App] 111,323 carrying rollers which rotatably support the furnace Support members are mounted on the rod for contacting the frames to limit relative longitudinal displace- [52] US. Cl. ..263/33 R ment therebetween and between the rod and the sup- [Sl] lnt.Cl ..F27b 7/22 port members while also causing the rollers to be I [58] Field of Search ..263/33 R, 32 R g y pressed against the furnace along their entire line of contact during the rotation of the furnace.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure The present invention relates to rotary furnaces and, more particularly, to supporting devices of rotary furnaces. y Y

Presently known in the art are supporting devices of rotary furnaces, by means of which the furnaces rest upon foundations through theintermediary of pneumatic or hydraulic cushions (cf. GFR Pat. No. 1,290,38l; Cl. F16, 478 As compared to rigid supports, these supports are advantageous in that they exclude overloads acting upon separate supports, thereby precluding premature wear and destruction not only of the supports but also of the body of the furnace.

As is known, the bearing rollers of each support are disposed on frames mounted on hydraulic or pneumatic cushions, and rest through the intermediary of the latter on the foundation.

At first, the bearing rollers of each support were mounted on one frame. With such a frame the bearing rollers of each support were rigidly interconnected, and, therefore, a change in the position of one roller, taking place during the furnace rotation, affects the position of the second roller, which results in an abnormal contact between the bandage and the rollers.

To eliminate this disadvantage, an attempt was made to mount the bearing rollers of each support on different (separate) frames independent of one another. However, such a constructive embodiment did not make it possible for the bearing rollers to independently occupy a position parallel to the surface of the bandage rolling in the vertical plane, i.e. in accordance with the angle ofinclination of the furnace.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of conventional supporting devices of rotary furnaces.

The main object of the present invention is to provide interconnection of the frames within the limits of each support so as to exclude to a certain extent the influence of the rollers upon each other during their displacement in the course of the furnace rotation, and to provide conditions for a constant and complete contact between the bandage and the rollers.

This object is accomplished in a supporting device of rotary furnaces essentially composed of a plurality of supports disposed along the furnace length, the bearing rollers of each of the supports being mounted on different frames resting upon the foundation through the intermediary of hydraulic or pneumatic cushions, by the provision according to the present invention, of a rod loosely passed through the center or a point close thereto of the frames, which rod has at least a pair of support members limiting the mutual longitudinal displacements of the rod and frames, one of the support members of the pair being disposed on the end portion of the rod and contacting one of the frames so as to provide a turn of this frame in space, and the other support member of the pair being disposed in the middle portion of the rod and contacting the other frame along the surface thereof so as also to providea turn of the frame in space.

In order to provide an equally effective operation of the supporting device of the invention irrespective of the direction of rotation of the furnace, the support members are mounted on the rod so that they can be adjusted along its length.

The following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is given with reference to the sole FIGURE of the accompanying drawing which shows a supportingdevice for a rotary furnace in accordance with the present invention, in cross-sectional view taken along one of the supports.

A. supporting device comprises a plurality of supports I disposed along the furnace length. Each support, in turn, comprises two bearing rollers l and 2 having the furnace bandage 3 resting thereon. The rollers l and 2 are mounted on frames 4 and 5, respectively, which frames rest upon the foundation through the intermediary of hydraulic or pneumatic cushions 6. The face walls of the frames 4 and 5 have openings 7 in the center thereof. Rod 8 is passed through said openings and is of a diameter which is somewhat smaller than that of the openings, the end portions of the rod extending beyond the frames 4 and 5. The rod 8 mounts two pairs of support members. One pair includes support members 9 and 10, and the other one-support members 11 and 12. The members 9 and 11 are disposed at the end portions of the rod, whereas the members 10 and 12 are disposed in the middleportion of the rod. At the side facing of the face walls of the frames all the support members have spherical surfaces 13, 14 and 15, 16, whereas the face walls l7, l8 and 19, 20 of the frames 4 and 5 have spherical recesses 21, 22 and 23, 24 made in the respective points thereof. The members 9, 10, 11 and 12 are threadably mounted on the rod 8, which makes it possible to adjust their position along the length of the rod 8.

With the furnace rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow A, the support members are shifted along the rod 8 in such a manner that the spherical surfaces 13 and 14 of the members 9 and 10 thrust against the respective spherical recesses 21 and 22 in the face walls 17 and 18 of the frames 4 and 5, and the members 11 and 12 do not touch the face walls 19 and 20.

In the course of the furnace rotation there always arise forces at the point of contact of the bandage 3 and the rollers 1 and 2, said forces tending to change the mutual initial position of the bandage and the rollers. With the supports embodied in the afore-described manner, i.e. when the frames 4 and 5 hingedly contact the support members 9 and 10 and resist the thrust forces exerted by the bandage 3 upon the rollers l and 2, there arise forces tending to turn the frames 4 and 5 along with the rollers l and 2 mounted thereon relative to the spherical surfaces of the members 9 and 10 in such a manner that the rollers l and 2 are always pressed against the bandage 3 along the whole line of their contact.

In case it is necessary to reverse the direction of the furnace rotation, the support members 11 and 12 are shifted along the rod 8 until they thrust against the spherical recesses 24 and 23 of the face walls 19 and 20, and the members 9 and 10 are drawn apart so that a gap is formed between said members and the walls 17 and 18.

Then the supporting devices operate in a manner analogous to the afore-described one.

What we claim is l. A supporting device for a rotary furnace, comprising a plurality of supports disposed along the length of said furnace, each of said supports comprising a pair of bearing rollers on which said furnace rests; two frames each supporting a respective one of said bearing rollers; a rod loosely passing through said frames; at least one pair of support members disposed on said rod and positioned thereon to limit the mutual longitudinal displacement of said rod and said frames; one of said support members of said pair being disposed on one end portion of said rod for contacting one of said frames, the other support member being disposed in the middle portion of said rod for contacting the other frame, said support members and frames having opposed contact surfaces of complimentary spherical shape to permit the frames to individually pivot thereabout under the rotational effect of the furnace and thereby press the rollers against the furnace; cushions filled with a pressurized liquid medium; and a foundation on which said frames rest through the intermediary of said cushions.

2. A device according to claim 1, comprising means by which the position of said support members can be adjusted along the length of said rod.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein two pairs of said support members are provided, one pair for contacting the frames in one direction of rotation of the furnace, the other pair for contacting the frames in the other direction of rotation of the furnace.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said frames have inner ends facing one another and outer ends, said one support member of each pair facing a respective inner end of the associated frame, the other support member of each pair facing a respective outer end of the associated frame.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the contact surfaces of one pair of support members are curved in one direction and the contact surfaces of the other pair of support members are curved in the opposite direction. 

1. A supporting device for a rotary furnace, comprising a plurality of supports disposed along the length of said furnace, each of said supports comprising a pair of bearing rollers on which said furnace rests; two frames each supporting a respective one of said bearing rollers; a rod loosely passing through said frames; at least one pair of support members disposed on said rod and positioned thereon to limit the mutual longitudinal displacement of said rod and saiD frames; one of said support members of said pair being disposed on one end portion of said rod for contacting one of said frames, the other support member being disposed in the middle portion of said rod for contacting the other frame, said support members and frames having opposed contact surfaces of complimentary spherical shape to permit the frames to individually pivot thereabout under the rotational effect of the furnace and thereby press the rollers against the furnace; cushions filled with a pressurized liquid medium; and a foundation on which said frames rest through the intermediary of said cushions.
 2. A device according to claim 1, comprising means by which the position of said support members can be adjusted along the length of said rod.
 3. A device according to claim 1 wherein two pairs of said support members are provided, one pair for contacting the frames in one direction of rotation of the furnace, the other pair for contacting the frames in the other direction of rotation of the furnace.
 4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said frames have inner ends facing one another and outer ends, said one support member of each pair facing a respective inner end of the associated frame, the other support member of each pair facing a respective outer end of the associated frame.
 5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the contact surfaces of one pair of support members are curved in one direction and the contact surfaces of the other pair of support members are curved in the opposite direction. 